I read in a book called "Psychic Protection" by Ted Andrews about the Qabbalistic Cross and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. I would like to try them, but I'm afraid. Aren't the archangels, and the Hebrew names for God, etc, all associated with the god of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible? I recall reading as a child about how that god commanded the Israelites to smash the city of Ai, burn the poles they used to worship Asherah, and leave not a man woman or child alive...the details are kind of fuzzy but it was something extremely violent. And there are so many instances in the Bible of these kinds of commands coming from him. To me this "deity" is rageful, vengeful, uncompassionate, and not of the Light. I don't want anything to do with him. So for a while I have avoided these rituals.

However, I want to leave no stone unturned....and I believe I might be thinking about this in the wrong way. Judaism is a rich tradition, and I've known many good people to follow it and somehow reconcile these passages in the Torah with the good they have in them. In addition I've been in synagogues and had a couple experiences where I felt something...there...that definitely felt "good."

Is anyone able to clarify this for me? =/ Is the entity who commanded the Israelites to ruthlessly slaughter their enemies different from the one who many feel in synagogue? How does this all work out? Most importantly, if I do the Qabbalistic Cross and LBRP, what forces am I connecting with?

Thanks for any insight!